Clutch control mechanism



March 26 1940- H. w. PRICE ET Al. 2&194768 CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed May 31, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATT RNEY March 26, 1940. H, W, PmCE E1- AL 2,194,768

CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed May 51, 1935 V2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 INV N TOR Mapa@ M P/c EARL RPR/c AT ORNEY Patented Mar. 26, 1940 l UNTEDl STATES PATENT for-Fics cLU'rcn CONTROL MEcnANlsM alla original application May 31, 1935, serial No. 24,305. Divided and this application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 192,948

a claims. (cl. 19a-.01)

This invention relates in general, to clutch operatprs, and more particularly to power means for operating the clutch of an automotive vehiclei 5 The principal object of the invention is'to provide a `pressure differential operated motor for disengaging the clutch and' subsequently controlling the engagement thereof in accordance with both the speed of the vehicle and the degree of depression of the accelerator. clutch is operated by a motor, of the doubleended type, both the time of operation and the mode of operation of its clutch connected power l element being controlled by the 4gaseous pres-V sure within the motor. The pressure ln turn is preferably controlled by an accelerator operated three-way valve to initiate the clutch controlling operation of the motor and by a. plurality of bleed valves for controlling the lclutch en- 20 gaging operation of the motor, said valves being operative by and in accordance with the speed of the vehicle and in accordance with the operation of the accelerator.

Other objects and desirable features of the in- 25 vention will be apparent from the following specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the essential features of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure/2 is a sectional view of the manually operated valve mechanism of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the lille 3-3 of Figure 2, disclosing the bleed valve portion of the control valve mechanism;

Figure `4 is a sectional view of the governor operated bleed valve of Figure 1; and

` Figure 5 is a sectional View of the clutch operating pressure differential operated motor of Figure 1.

There are disclosedin Figure 1 an internalcombustion engine I having an intake manifold I2, a conventional three-speeds forward and reverse transmission I4, and a clutch operating lever I6 operatively connected to a clutch, the latter interconnecting, in the usual manner, the engine and transmission.

The invention is directed to power means for so operating the clutch as to simulate a conventional manual operation thereof. To this end a pressure differential operated motor I8, comprising a cylinder 2G and a piston 22, is operably connected by a link 24 to the lever I6, the

latter being operatively connected to a conven- 55 tional clutch, not shown. The aforementioned To this end thev lever,.constituting a conventional manually operable clutch pedal, may be operated to control the clutch in' the event that the power means for operating the same is for any 'reason rendered inoperative.

Both the` time and mode of operation of the motor I8 in operating the clutch are determined by the gaseous pressure within the same, and such pressure is controlled by a combined threeway and bleed valve 26 and a bleed valve 28, disclosed in detail in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The combined three-way and bleed valve is housed within the lower portion of a valve unit 32, Figure `2, said valve being operable by an accelerator 34 through a connection 36. The accelerator, returned to its olf position by a spring 38, also performs its usual function of operating a throttle lever 49 connected thereto by a linkv42. The link 42 is provided with a slot at 44 to provide a lost motion connection, whereby the throttle is 4closed before the aforementioned valve 2S is opened to initiate a disengegement of the clutch and the valve is opened to initiate an engagement of the. clutch prior to an opening of the throttle. e

Upon releaseof the'accelerator, the valve 26 is positioned to interconnect the intake manifold I2 with one end of the cylinder 20, such connection being made possible by a conduit 46. The manifold at closed throttle is partially evacuated, resulting in the evacuation of a right end compartment 48, Figure 5, of the' cylinder.

This results in the piston 22 being drawn to the right, under the load of atmosphere admitted through a check valve 50. The clutch is thus automatically disengaged with release of the accelerator.

Upon depressing the accelerator, the valve 2li` is operated to vent the compartment 48 to the` atmosphere and thereby initiate a clutch engaging operation of the clutch mo'tor. The mode of engagement of the clutch is determined by the gaseous pressure acting on the piston 22, the pressure within a left compartment 52 of the cylinder 20 being. determined by the operation of bleed valves controlled respectively by the transmission and accelerator.

The bleed valve .28 preferably comprises a tubular end portion 54 of a hollow sphericallyshaped two-part casing 56, fixedly secured to the variable speed transmission casing I4, and a reciprocable tubular member 58 sleeved over a rod 60 and within the bore of the aforementioned end portion 54. Said portion is ported at B2 and 64, said ports being connected respectively with the compartment 62-of the cylinder 20 by a cony duit 66 and with the valve unit 32 by a conduit 68. The end of the reciprocable bleed valve member 58 is tapered, as disclosed in Figure 4, to progressively effect a greater flow of air through the conduits 66 and 68 as the member 58 is drawn to the left. The member 58 is operated by governor means comprising discs 10 and 12 freely sleeved over pins 14 and 16 secured to the rod 60, the latter being driven by either the driven element of the clutch or the propel- 1er shaft in other words, the speed of rotation of the rod 60 is directly proportional to the speed of the vehicle. As the speed of the rod 68 increases, the discs 10 and 12 are moved outwardly, against the tension of return springs 1I and 13 respectively, to thereby draw the member 58 to the left, the degree of movement being directly proportional to the speed of the rod.

'Ihe valve 26, Figures 2 and 3, also comprises a tapered slot 80 in its body, which constitutes, together with a cooperating port 8| in the valve unit 26, a bleed valve physicallyremoved from and therefore to this extent independent of the bleed valve 28. As previously described, the valve 26 functions to initiate the operations of the clutch motor before and after the throttle is rendered operative and that portion of the valve accomplishing this function, including a slot 88 and a recess 82, may be defined as a three-way valve. However, the valve is so constructed and connected to the accelerator as to insure its operation to determine the bleed of air from the compartment 52 only when the throttle is being opened. It follows therefore that the rate of bleed of air from the compartment 48, via the tapered slot, and hence the rate of clutch engagement are functions of the degree of depression of the accelerator, which is connected to the combined three-Way and bleed valve 26.

The valve 2B comprises the aforementioned recessed portion 82 adapted, when the accelerator is in its released position, to interconnect the manifold I2 and the motor I8 via ports 84 and 86 in the body of the valve casing. The slot 88 in the valve 26 serves, 'when the accelerator is depressed, to vent the motor I8 to atmosphere via the port 86. A slot 90 is provided in the link 24 to effect a relatively rapid efflux of air from the compartment 52, and therefore a relatively rapid clutch engaging movement of the piston 22, said stage ofmovement terminating when the clutch plates are about to engage: thereafter the eiilux of air from the compartment 52 to complete the clutch engagement is effected via the previously described bleed valves-said efllux beingrelatively slow as compared to the egress of air vla the slot 90. 'Iwo stages of clutch engaging movement are thus effected, the rst being relatively fast and substantially constant and the second being variable, at the will of the driver, and relatively slow. If desired, a valve 92 may be provided to permanently vent the compartment 48 and thusl render the power mechanism inoperative.

The invention heretofore described is disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 24,305, filed May 3l, 1935, this application constituting a division thereof.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described, it is not our intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than Iby the terms of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch and an accelerator, power means for operating the clutch comprising an air-suspended pressure differential operated motor operably connected with the clutch, Yan accelerator operated three-way valve for initiating the clutch disengaging and engaging operations of the motor, said valve serving to connect the motor either with a source of vacuum or with the atmosphere, a bleed valve operable in accordance with the speed of the vehicle for controlling the clutch engaging operation of said motor, and another bleed valve operated by the accelerator for controlling the clutch engaging operation of the motor.

2. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch, an accelerator and a source of vacuum, power means for operating the clutch comprising a vacuum operated pressure differential motor operably connected with the clutch, a fluid transmitting connection, connected to one end of said motor, for venting the latter to the atmosphere, a combined bleed and three-way valve connected to one end of said connection, said valve being operable by the accelerator for controlling the clutch disengaging and engaging operations of the motor, and a bleed valve, operable in accordance with the speed of the vehicle, incorporated in said connection, said valve being independent of the aforementioned valve.

3. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch, a pressure differential operated motor operably connected with the clutch, fluid transmitting means through which a power fluid flows into and from the motor, a valve opera-ble to so control the flow of power fluid as to initiate the clutch disengaging and clutch engaging operations of the motor, a second valve operated by the accelerator of the vehicle and operable to control the rate of ow of power uid to deenergize the motor and permit the clutch to engage, and a third valve operable, when the vehicle is standing still or moving at a relatively slow speed, to prevent the second-mentioned valve from so controlling the clutch engaging operation of the motor as to effect a rapid engagement of the clutch.

HAROLD W. PRICE. EARL R. PRICE. 

